The Future of the Automobile had already started in 1886 when Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz independently of each other - opened up a new dimension of mobility for mankind the motor vehicle. Their invention changed the world.   The motor vehicle provides people with personal independence and freedom. It stands for the right to decide freely, at any given point in time, to be where one wants. It overcomes boundaries and brings people together.   Gottlieb Daimler hated compromises. His motto was a categorical "The best or nothing at all". Until this very day, his credo is one of the mainstays of Mercedes-Benz' tradition.   An unprecedented tradition, which is more than just a list of automotive engineering achievements marking the state of the art in their day and age. The Mercedes-Benz tradition builds a bridge from the tentative beginnings of motorization in the last century via the current high technology standards into the future.